Eastern Fox Squirrel

Sciurus niger

When I think of squirrels, this is the species that comes to mind. In Los Angeles, Eastern Fox Squirrels are what you would see in your backyard or running across the powerlines. Strangely, they have only existed in Southern California for about 100 years. Confederate Civil War veterans brought the Squirrels as pets when they moved to Los Angeles to convalesce in the warm, dry weather. As the Eastern part of their name suggests, Eastern Fox Squirrels are native to the Eastern United States and parts of Canada, but they have been introduced in other areas, too.  There are now scattered populations throughout California, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, North Dakota, and Ontario.

I had the opportunity to work with Eastern Fox Squirrels when I worked in wildlife rehabilitation. They are feisty and the babies have a very definitive off-switch in their development when they will no longer tolerate being fed/handled by humans. They build dreys in trees made of twigs where they bear their young. They have two litters a year: once in the spring and once in the fall, usually of two to four kits.

The “fox” in their name comes from their reddish color; however, they can be black, brown, or a combination of all three colors. My aunt in Menlo Park, California, has a population of black squirrels in her neighborhood. I was quite excited to see one minding his/her own business in my aunt’s backyard.
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Eastern Fox Squirrels are quite adaptable to suburban life, taking easily to the mixed woodlands of neighborhoods and parks. They are very vocal, and you can often hear them chittering in the trees. I love seeing these fluffy hooligans on my walks. Now we just need to teach them to stay off the road!

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